Air traffic control in Wallonia soon to be among the world's best
The foundation stone of the advanced digital air traffic control centre for Wallonia was recently laid in Namur. By 2026, it should replace the traditional physical towers at Liege and Charleroi airports.
While waiting for skeyes and the Société wallonne des Aéroports (SOWAER) to complete their digital control centre in Namur, the state-of-the-art prototype has already been launched in Steenokkerzeel. Staff will be trained and familiarised with the new technologies in the test centre, which is pretty much identical to the control centre coming to Namur.
By 2026, the control tower in Namur should centrally manage all flight movements, including landing, taxiing and take-off, at Liege and Charleroi airports, some 100 km apart. This process incorporates modern computerised technologies such as high-performance infrared cameras on masts, intelligent sensors and a ground radar system that projects an aircraft's exact location, even in adverse weather conditions, onto large screens where air traffic controllers can also scan the full circle of the horizon. And all in real time.
Flanders is also getting a digital control centre to serve the airports of Antwerp, Ostend and Kortrijk. skeyes is preparing the project.
Flying will thus be even safer and more reliable.